A nightmare in Paris
by Nina.4444
Summary: "Yes Arthur. Call you when I land & each day for the next few days on your new number.Ring you straight away if I notice anything suspicious at all...If I can't get you then ring Eames or Cobb or Yusuf or go to Miles' house –don't sleep on the plane. Stay safe, don't do anything stupid and don't take any chances" Ariadne stated with a grin. "I'll be fine" - Loosely based on taken.
1. Home Safe Home?

**A nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 1**

"**Yes Arthur. Call you when I land & each day for the next few days on your new you straight away if I notice anything suspicious at all...If I can't get you then ring Eames or Cobb or Yusuf or go to Miles' house –don't sleep on the plane. Stay safe, don't do anything stupid and don't take any chances" Ariadne stated with a grin. "I'll be fine" - Loosely based on taken**

* * *

"Madame" Ariadne lifted her head up from where it lay in her arms and offered a large smile to the forger standing on the other side of the kitchen bar, plate in hand .

"Morning Eames" she greeted, happily accepting the plate that he slid across to her that was stacked with pancakes. She laughed at the outraged expression that spread across Cobb's face who stood behind Eames with a spatula in hand having just filled her plate.

"Thanks Cobb" he nodded before turning back to the stovetop.

"Good morning darling, sleep well?" she nodded at his question as Eames took a seat on her right, still in his sleep wear – which consisted of track suit pants before turning to her left and quickly stealing the glass that sat in front of the man on her left. Arthurs eyes flicked up towards her, filled with mock-annoyance, and she smiled over the top of glass filled with orange juice causing him to simply shake his head before looking back down at his paper,

"If I did that I'd get shot" Eames muttered earning an elbow to the ribs but his attention was quickly stolen when a pattering of footsteps could be heard behind them,

"Uncle Eamesssss" the forger grinned at the excited voices and then several gasps were heard as the two children entered the room,

"Auntie Ari and Uncle Arthur" Philippa cheered as she took in the two other bodies she couldn't see from the top of the stairs. The trio couldn't help but smile and Eames caught Philippa who all but threw herself at him swinging her into the air,

"Hey Pippa!"

Ariadne slipped off the chair and met a stumbling little James who was grinning widely, cute as a button, with sleep tousled hair. He lifted his arms up, his eyes sparkling up at her and she picked him up placing a kiss on his forehead. Once the children had greeted the three adults who had arrived sometime during the night the six of them sat around the table devouring the pancakes. Philippa, sitting in her chair that she'd pulled as close to Arthurs as possible, chattered away still excited while James grinned from Ariadnes lap, as Eames cut his pancakes and Cobb shook his head at his sons devious ability to get Eames every time with a single look.

"What time's your flight Ariadne?" Cobb asked and the young woman turned to him,

"Just after ten" she answered before smiling at Phillipa's frown. The young girl had not been happy when told that Auntie Ari would only be staying for a quick visit before flying back home –"Where Grandpa lives" Cobb had explained. The three: point man, forger and architect, had all arrived at varying times during the previous night after spending a week apart that followed a completed job. It had become a normal routine for them if their work took them to the states to meet up at Cobbs a week or two after the job. It hadn't been long after Ariadne's graduation that she had sat in the warehouse once again with Eames, Yusuf and Arthur having bothered all three of them not to mention Cobb and Miles about the job they'd promised her after her successful graduation. And after a more than successful graduation – at which they were all present – Ariadne had not exactly exerted the greatest amount of patience.

It was now almost eighteen months since inception, seven months since Ariadne had graduated and a handful of jobs completed. At first working without Cobb, who she had worked most closely with on inception, was strange for her but she quickly found the dynamic between the three remaining men easy to fall into step with. Yusuf didn't always work with them and she loved Mombasa since Eames had taken her the first time to meet Arthur and Yusuf – so they visited often. And Cobb….well Ariadne found that she'd really never known Cobb at all. Not the real Dominic Cobb anyway. Now though, she was not only the young architect stumbling in a foreign world of dreams but now Auntie Ari.

Two hours later Ariadne slid back into the car where three men were waiting a big smile on her face. Cobb simply laughed,

"They have that effect" he smiled and she nodded slipping back in the car beside Arthur in the back.

"You'll have to come back soon Ari" the former extractor-architect said as they pulled away from the curb and from the bustling primary school ringing with children's laughter.

"Definitely" she agreed as she laid her head back on the seat as Cobb headed for the airport.

"There have been whispers that Marksons industries have in the past, and may currently be, involved with extensive illegal importing of their products and potentially on the side illegal weapon trafficking. The company now finds themselves under heavy investigation of multiple international corporations" Arthur read and Ariadne let her head roll towards him her gaze falling upon a familiar face staring up at her from the point mans computer screen.

"Another happy customer" Eames said from the front and Arthur snapped his laptop shut turning towards her,

"There's no signs of any suspicions from Markson or Greene but you know the dri-"

"Yes Arthur, Call you when I land and each day for the next few days on your new number. Ring you straight away if I notice anything suspicious at all, don't believe that anything is a coincidence. If I can't get you then ring Eames or Cobb or Yusuf or go to Miles' house – don't sleep on the plane. Stay safe, don't do anything stupid and don't take any chances" she stated and suppressed a smile when Arthur simply raised an amused eyebrow ignoring the snickers from the front of the car.

"Good" he said shortly leveling her with a pointed gaze since he couldn't repeat his own rules.

They didn't get out of the car at the airport, didn't help her with her luggage or lean out to wave – as much as Eames would have taken great pleasure in embarrassing her. Instead the architect planted a kiss on each of their cheeks before she got out and retrieved her luggage bidding them farewell before the car slid away, tinted windows masking their faces from the camera's. It wasn't always so strict, but this close after a job they were always wary – well that and everywhere Ariadne was involved.

* * *

The plane flight was long and not for the first time the young woman wondered if she would be wise to make her permanent residence closer to Cobb and the kids. But Paris was Paris and it still had a tight grip on her heart. Plus it didn't really matter where Arthur and Eames were concerned – both frequent global gallivanters. She often wondered how many frequent fliers points they each would have accrued had they used the same name throughout their travels.

As the aircraft circled over Paris Ariadne's heart fluttered as she stared down at the lights, sending thanks to Arthur who never failed to acquire her a window seat. The Eiffel tower glittered up at her welcoming her back and her eyes zeroed in on the area she knew her little apartment was located. Eames often teased her about moving – usually when he was crammed into her small place, or crashing there on her couch, or trying to make French toast in her closet of a kitchen. But again it was hers, and she loved it, and it had been good to her since she'd arrived in France all those years ago.

The country had brought her so much, from a brilliant college and professor, to amazing friends, a quaint little apartment, brilliant architecture, a new language, and of course the one Dominic Cobb and in turn Arthur, Eames and Yusuf. France had delivered in spades – more than she could ever dream. The plane touched down and Ariadne smiled as a man pulled her bag down from the overhead locker with a charming smile before she exited the plane nodding to the air hostess' – and not for the first time realising how natural it had become to her. Who would've thought.

The young architect grinned as she spied the young blonde that was waving from behind the glass, with what was no doubt a cappuccino in hand, and she hugged her tightly once she'd passed through customs,

"Thank you so much for coming to get me" Ariadne said and the blonde, Anita, shook her off handing her a second cup,

"No problem ma Cherie. How was work?" the two friends fell into easy conversation as they headed out of the terminal where they had in fact met almost four years prior.

"So where's Arthur and that other bloke" Ariadne snorted at her friend, shaking her head as Anita smirked,

"They're still stateside wrapping up – but they might pop by in the next couple of weeks" Ariadne replied not missing the excitement that made Anita's eyes sparkle,

"The other bloke said to say hi by the way" Ariadne said as she pushed through the doors holding it open so they could enter the lobby of the airport.

"I'm going to the bathroom, go get the car" she said before Anita could reply and all she got was a frustrated scoff before the put out blonde stalked towards the doors making Ariadne laugh.

Five minutes later Ariadne pulled her jacket further around her body as she stood outside the airport waiting for Anita's familiar car to pull up. Suddenly she was thrust forward and the young architect stumbled tripping over her bag that lay at her feet. Two firm hands grabbed her shoulders before she could hit the ground and steadied her as she flushed bright red as her jacket,

"Oh I am so sorry!" Ariadne looked up at the young man before her and shook her head,

"It's alright"

"I didn't see you and are you okay? I'm very sorry" his English was stilted but Ariadne waved a hand,

"It's no problem really" she smiled and he nodded,

"I am from Spain, but my parents live here. You? On holiday?" he asked kindly and she nodded,

"I am yes. I'm from California" she answered with a smile before peering down the road to make sure Anita hadn't arrived,

"Wish they could be all California girls" he sung a moment later and Ariadne's eyes widened before she let out a laugh with him,

"I'm Peter" he said laughing and she took his hand shaking it before clearing her throat animatedly,

"Je'mapelle Anna" she replied letting out a giggle and knew that Eames' would be proud of her acting skills that were slowly getting better. Peter laughed and clapped his hands in mock applaud.

"Lovely to meet you although I'm sorry I crashed into you, are you heading into Paris?" he asked and she nodded,

"Oui" she said,

"You know the taxi here, are so damn expensive, you want to share?" he asked gesturing to the line of taxi's several metres away. She shook her head,

"Oh no it's okay thank you though. I'm getting picked up by a friend, she is at college here on exchange" Ariadne grinned and Peter nodded,

"In fact here she is now" Ariadne said picking up her bag as she saw Anita pull up,

"Ah well maybe I will see you again Anna" Peter said before stepping forward and placing a kiss on each of her cheeks. He laughed as she stiffened up reflexively,

"It is custom here" he said and she nodded her eyes narrowing in annoyance.

"Well aurevior" she said with a smile before opening the door as Peter nodded before walking away grinning.

"Who was that then young lady!" Anita teased as soon as Ariadne was in the car.

"Take me home" Ariadne said to Anita who just smiled and shook her head,

"I just want you to be happy and if you won't ask Arthur out then you could at least take a nice tourist out on a date" Anita teased and Ariadne shook her head before turning the heater on and fiddling with the radio. When her phone beeped a moment later Ariadne didn't fail to notice the smirk spread on her friends lips,

"Bet that's Arthur" ignoring her and yet knowing Anita was more than right she pulled her phone from her pocket.

_I JUST got into Anita's car mr. punctual! All is good here. Will ring later give my love to everyone and thank Cobb for letting us stay xx_

As the car warmed up and Ariadne avoided the topic of Arthur neither of the girls noticed the taxi that had followed them from the airport and passed them as they pulled into Ariadne's apartment building.

**Hi guys! Had an idea and it wouldn't leave me alone. I know not much happened in this chapter but there's more to come. This story is kind of based on Taken which I saw yesterday and looooved!**

**Hope you like it and please review!**


	2. Taken

**A nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 2**

"So Ellie and Michael are back together and Donna split up with Tom" Ariadne nodded at Anita's words as she poured two glasses of wine.

"They both text me" Ariadne said and Anita stuck her tongue out,

"Mature" Ariadne muttered jokingly before ducking at the pillow that was aimed her way,

"Speaking of mature. I know I said make yourself at home while I'm away but you could've taken the trash out at least once" Ariadne said with mock annoyance, eyebrows raised,

"And walk across there! It was snowing Ari" the young woman said and Ariadne shook her head,

"Alright well I'm going to go check my mail for today, I'm expecting something from the college and I'll put the rubbish out. I'll be back in a second" she said pulling the bag out and sliding her phone into her pocket,

"Alright hon. I'll order yeah?" Ariadne nodded and then laughed as Anita blew her a kiss before closing the door and making her way down the stairs.

The bins were across the road around the side of the building parallel to hers. Ariadne pulled her jacket further around her and tightened her scarf, the four hours she'd been back in Paris hadn't helped warm her at all. It was as she was half way across the road that her phone rang from her pocket and Ariadne avoided traffic as she struggled to pull it from her pocket. She smiled reading the familiar number on the screen,

"Why hello Arthur" she greeted happily,

"It's me Auntie Ari!" Ariadne could only laugh at the young voice,

"Hi Pippa, how was school?" she asked,

"Good daddy said James and me could stay up to say hi to you on Uncle Arfurs phone" the bubbly girl explained,

"Well that was nice of daddy wasn't it?"

"Yes but James fell asleep because he's little so Uncle Arfur carried him to bed"

"Well that's okay you can say hi to him from me in the morning can't you Pippa" Ariadne could all but hear Phillipa nod on the other end,

"I did a painting for you at school today Auntie Ari. I'll send it to you"

"Did you? Thank you! I'll put it up on my wall with the other ones as soon as it gets here"

"Uncle Eames said he'd bring it to you when he visits" she said,

"Ah well make sure Uncle Eames remembers because sometimes he's forgetful!" Ariadne teased and Phillipa giggled. A second later Ariadne heard Eames' protest in the background.

"Daddy says I have to go to bed now" the little girl whined and Ariadne could all but hear her nose scrunch up in unhappiness,

"Night night Auntie Ari don't let the bed bugs bite. Love you"

"I love you too Pippa sweet dreams" as there was a rustling on the other end of the phone Ariadne swung the garbage up and into the large steel bins that sat in the alley way.

"Hello darling, what are you up to?" she grinned at the newest voice in her ear,

"Putting the trash out"

"Ah Anita didn't keep that small box you call home as spotless as you'd hoped love?" the forger teased and Ariadne rolled her eyes,

"She says hi" Ariadne said shaking her head as she leant against the wall and turned her head to peer up at her apartment window to her friend in question. It was the one thing that wasn't so great about her apartment – without the blinds down her kitchen window was almost like a cinema screen with the light on. From the street it was too far up but coming up any of the alleyways that ran the opposite way you could see the silhouettes within Ariadne's apartment building.

Anita – easily spotted – was standing at the stovetop and Ariadne grinned fondly as she watched her friend dance oblivious even though Ariadne had told her to shut the blinds ten times over.

"How was your flight Ariadne?" Arthur's voice dragged her out of her thoughts and she couldn't help the smile that played on her lips and the concern she could hear in his voice,

"Safe and sound" she assured the point man,

"Good we're thinking of heading your way in the next few weeks, Eames will probably get there first"

"Okay I'll be here" she said,

"Ariadne" Cobb greeted warmly his voice distant and she smiled knowing he was probably coming back down the stairs having put Pippa to bed,

"Hey Dom" she said,

"Miles told me to remind you that you're having lunch with him tomorrow" he asked and she rolled her eyes,

"I haven't forgotten!" she said outraged and she heard Dom chuckle,

"Don't shoot the messenger"

"So love there might be a new job" Eames said as the lion would to the lamb,

"Ari?" he repeated after a beat of silence passed with no answer,

"Ariadne?" Cobb called. But the architect in question didn't hear him. Nor did she hear Eames when he repeated her name twice more. Her breathing quickened and her eyes had widened so much that they were stinging from the cold. Her whole body had turned to ice and her heart began to race. She had turned to begin the walk back to her apartment but was stopped in her tracks when her eyes flickered upwards slightly.

"ARIADNE" she gasped finally releasing the breath she hadn't realised she was holding. Arthur's loud voice commanded her attention dragging her out of her shock. But her eyes still were stuck on her apartment window, unmoving,

"Arthur" her voice was strained and her fear palpable,

"Ariadne talk to us what's going on, what happened?" with his words she snapped out of it and straightened up feeling bile rise in her throat. There were shadows….more than one….more than Anita – in her apartment, in her home. Three….four.

"Ariadne!" she flinched at his voice once more,

"There's people….men I think …they're tall ….in the window.. in my apartment..they're" the words stumbled from her mouth,

"Oh my god, oh god Arthur…they've…oh god they've got Anita" she exclaimed as she watched the two larger shadows overtake the smaller one she knew to be her friend who still danced in the kitchen. They were obviously struggling and Ariadne watched as Anita was lifted up and then thrown against the wall.

She felt her body begin to shake and her eyes welled with tears. She couldn't make out the shadows anymore – instead they were just one big mass.

"What do I do..what….oh god" her chest began to heave,

"Nooooo" when the shadows disappeared from her view she stumbled forward on unsteady legs that felt like lead.

"Ariadne NO" a voice stopped her and it was only a moment later she realised it was from her ear….her phone.

"Arthur….Eames?" she corrected herself as she realised who had spoken, who had yelled – his voice still ringing in her ear.

"Do not go into that apartment Ariadne…stay where you are" he ordered, every trace of amusement or mischief vanished from his voice. It was unsettling. Her eyes searched her apartment windows….nothing. She was stuck …but she had to move…..Anita.

"They've got Anita…Eames…Ani ..I can't…they can't…no…I …please…no..." her words were breathed out as she panicked her eyes wild,

"Ariadne take a breath" Cobb instructed forcefully and she did so heaving in freezing air that stung her lungs.

"No no no no no they took her I have to …." She took several more steps forward. Anita …they took Anita. She had to help her, help her friend, her best friend. They took her. She shook her head hoping to clear it and straighten out her thoughts,

"Ariadne stay where you are!" but she was already moving only a single thought running through her head. _Don't let them take her. _She couldn't …she couldn't let them. They couldn't take her. No.

She gasped a moment later when she turned into the street her eyes flying to the apartment building entrance.

"Ariadne?" she'd jumped backwards and was flat against the alley wall,

"Darling what's happening!"

"There's more….outside..there's a van. It's white but there's more …more men around it…waiting. I think they're waiting. They're parked around the side of the building….What….I don't…oh god"

"Ariadne listen to me okay. Are you sure everything's been fine since you got off the plane, no one followed you, can you see anyone you recognise?" Arthur's words asked in her ear and one tear rolled down her cheek as she turned to peek around the brick wall once more. Why was there no one about, why didn't she live somewhere busier?

"No…no I don't think so…no oh god this is my fault. Anita…they can't take her Arthur…they' can't…this is my fault not hers they're supposed to take me"

"Ariadne focus…..listen to me and focus okay. Did you talk to anyone at the airport, anyone new, or on the way home, when you got there – anything different?" his voice was urgent enough, direct enough to force her to listen, cutting through her frantic thoughts,

"No…no …no..." it was only then that a charming grin entered her mind,

"Peter" she breathed but shook her head,

"No…it wasn't …nothing"

"Peter who's Peter" Cobb asked urgently,

"I …..I don't know…he was at the airport…. I don't know him he was waiting at the taxi's he's not…..he wasn't... Dom tell me what to –" her words cut short as all the air left her body as the doors to the building swung open and three men exited the building …..with something….no no no no no ….she could do nothing to stop the tears that spilled down her cheeks. _Anita_. She was slung over his shoulder..the last one…the biggest one…

She was slung into the van as the men began to talk and she couldn't move. Not when they began to yell….not when they began to spread out….not even when one. One who stood next to the drivers seat turned directly around and stared at her. Her stomach dropped. Her breath caught in her throat and the core of her body turned ice cold, colder than it had ever been when he smiled.

"nooooooooo" she sobbed before forcing her body to turn and she began to run. Down the alley way. Run. Away…away from them. Run.

"Ariadne….Ari sweetheart what's going on…do not got to the apartment"

"Ariadne!" she gripped the phone tighter and could only shake her head as she ran down the cobblestone alley.

"Coming…..saw me…they know I'm here…what …they're coming…please" she could hardly see through her tears and every word felt as though it sliced her throat open.

"Arthur….Eames...Dom…please" her voice was a whisper, incapable of louder and she gripped the phone so tightly her fingers became painful…

"Ariadne listen…listen to me keep going…keep running to the end darling okay. Take a breath you need to focus, stay together" Eames instructed and she nodded not that he could see,

"How many people are there Ariadne, be precise?" Arthur asked and she shook her head,

"I don't…three in the apartment….four outside" she stumbled over a loose rock and her head spun but she couldn't stop.

"Where are you now Ariadne?" Eames asked,

"Nearly at the end"

"Okay stop" he ordered and she froze mid step. Spinning around she saw they hadn't yet entered the alley way. Then again…there wasn't anywhere she could go.

"Ariadne there's a ladder you see it?...on your left, it goes up the side of the building" she turned and wiped her eyes not allowing herself to focus on how badly her fingers were shaking.

"Yess…yes I see it" she replied as her eyes landed on the fire escape.

"Go Ari… I want you to climb up it as fast as you can okay…if there's a window open go inside otherwise go straight to the top. Put the phone in your pocket and climb now!"

"….."

"NOW ARIADNE" at his voice, who's voice she didn't know, she nodded,

"Okay" she said and she pushed the phone into her jacket pocket being careful not to hang up before pulling down the ladder. It was then that she heard shouts from the end of the alley way and her eyes widened but didn't move from the ladder. She began to climb. Her shaking hands and body didn't help but she climbed ….she didn't stop. His words, their words, encouragement running through her head. Climb, climb, climb…that was all that mattered.

It felt like years but she reached the top and pulled herself over the ledge and pulled the phone back out her pocket,

"They're following me" she all but yelled into the phone,

"I know Ari, shut the top of the cage, shut it and if there's a padlock lock it" she did as they asked flipping the lid shut and trying to not hear the yells. She couldn't stop the sob that escaped her lips when she realised there was no padlock. Instead she ran toward the ledge and looked over the side. The van was still there….and another man, two men, were heading into the apartment building she was now on top of. She looked around her feet stumbling heavily.

"What….now…please now what?" she asked gripping the phone.

"Ari go to the other side of the building there's a door into the top apartment" she didn't ponder on how he knew that she just followed the forgers instructions. No doubt he had discovered it on the many trips he'd taken to put her trash out. Of course he had.

She fell to her knees at the door and pulled it upwards.

"NO…..no no no please no no" she heard someone curse and knew she didn't have to say it,

"It's locked"

"Sweetheart I want you to find somewhere to hide and be as quiet as you can darling. The police are on their way" Cobb said and his voice soothed her if only for a minute. She ran towards the tanks on the opposite side of the roof. The only other feature on the rooftop. She slid beneath one…crushing her chest into the concrete. They wouldn't see her, they couldn't fit under there. Her tears stained the dry concrete that had been protected from the rain.

"Okay…okay I'm under the tank….. I can't…there's nowhere else" she whispered,

"Good girl you're doing good Ari deep breaths" Eames instructed. She heard banging on the cage door of the fire escape that she'd shut. It was only held shut with a small latch they'd easily be able to open. She clamped her eyes shut,

"Please…"

"Ariadne listen to me okay" Cobbs voice was gentle but commanding and she nodded her cheek scraping on the pavement,

"I need you to focus this bit is very important"

"They're going to take you" at his words the air was pulled from her lungs and she held a shaking hand over her mouth. Her eyes were held so tightly that they were painful. There were more noises but she focused only on the phone,

"Listen Ari….listen to us" Eames said slowly and deliberately,

"Focus Ariadne" Arthur. Where was Arthur – where had he gone. The point man spoke and she listened intently letting his voice fill her ears, hearing nothing else,

"Okay Ari you're going to have five maybe ten seconds. They're very important alright. Focus" his no nonsense tone was reassuring….like a job. It was going to be alright. It would be okay. Just follow Arthur's instructions. It would be okay.

"Ariadne you're going to leave the phone on the ground alright. You're going to shout out everything you see about them.. alright everything. Anything you see, eye colour hair colour, tall, short, scars, anything you see understand" she nodded at his words but didn't answer…couldn't.

"Deep breaths darling" as there was a bang her eyes flung open and she realised the door to the roof had slammed open, ricocheting off the wall. There was more yelling and she silently sobbed into the ground.

"They're there I can hear them. Do what I said Ariadne. It's going to be alright. We are coming to get you. You're going to be fine - concentrate"

Feet…..she could see feet. Boots, black boots. Traipsing around the roof. Two pairs.. three. Her body shook but she didn't dare move.

"Stay still, stay quiet sweetheart. You're doing great. And we're going to come and get you alright. I want you to remember that no matter what okay. No matter where you are we're coming to get you, Arthur, Eames and me are coming to get you – deep breaths" she held the phone closer, as close as possible as if it would make her safer. As if it would protect her.

It was only then that somehow an idea appeared in her head, and she pulled the phone away from her ear bringing it to her face. Her fingers only just managed to work the phone until finally she had the video camera on. She pulled it back to her ear but faced it so it was filming what she could see…the boots. More pairs. She held her breath,

"That's it darling. Good, we're on our way to get you and Anita everything is going to be alright" the boots were drawing closer…two pairs and her body began to shake more violently. Her jaw was ridiculously painful as she clamped it harder, her teeth feeling ready to shatter. Voices grew louder and it was then she realised they were not speaking English or French. Or anything she recognised.

"Ari put the phone a little closer so I can hear what they're saying" Arthur requested,

"Just for a second darling" she moved her hand outwards just slightly. What if they saw? Not that far…

Two sets of boots stopped in front of the tanks. Her fingers dug into the ground. They spoke for a moment, they're language aggressive but maybe she was biased. Maybe they were aggressive. She frowned wanting to stop thinking…she needed…she pulled the phone back against her ear,

"Good Ari…good work"

"Excellent darling now remember we are coming for you…we are coming to get you and we will find you. We will find you Ariadne" Eames' voice was so certain she could do nothing but believe it.

"I want you to do what they ask Ariadne, don't cause them trouble and try and buy as much time at every chance as possible – we're on our way. Ariadne I'll find you…we'll find you" Arthur said and she nodded. But she froze as the feet began to move away she watched them walk away their boots creaking. Were they….leaving…leaving. She still didn't move, didn't breathe as she watched them retreat. She would stay there, with her nails dug into the concrete, tangled in the spider webs until Arthur, Eames and Dom came to pull her out themselves. She would be happy with that, she could do that. Just stay there.

She watched them take several more steps away still clutching the phone.

"They're leaving Ari…they're moving away but I don't want you to move" Arthur said and she nodded silently. Of course she wouldn't move… she would stay there forever until she saw his face. Until he was there in front of her…until they were gone…but Anita..oh god…she had to find her, they would find her..they had to find

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHH" the scream ripped from her throat that she was sure had split open as something gripped her ankles and pulled her backwards. The phone was dropped from her hand as she tried to grip the ground the skin tearing away from her fingers.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo" she screamed unable to stop. Her heart beat so hard her ribs had to have cracked. Where had he come from ….how….they were leaving. She was okay…they were leaving. No no no no no no no. vice like hands pulled her up, grabbing her hair, gripping her arms. _Anything you see Ari_

_Anything you see_

She opened her eyes still trying to push away from him and only then did she realise there was more. They'd come back…they'd tricked her…they were playing with her. They were winning. There was four of them…and two more watching ….six….six of them.

"SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIXXXXXXXXXXXXX " She screamed as loud as she could and she felt something hit her head cracking her neck sideways,

"I CAN'T SEE" she tried to find something, see something, anything. But they were all in black. Black over their faces, their hands, everywhere. Just black. All black. There was nothing she could tell them…tell Arthur and Eames and Cobb.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" she screamed as they began to drag her backwards. Towards the door.

"NOOO PLEASE…NO LET GO. HELLLLPPPP!" something wrapped around her throat and she was quick to realise it was not her scarf. It wasn't soft….material…no …hard. As his fingers squeezed the light began to dance in front of her eyes. Flickering in shades of white. Blinding. Like the sun. A thousand little suns. Blinding. Burning. She shut her eyes as tight as she could but it didn't stop. She could still hear the sobs leaving her mouth. The protests. The screams. She couldn't control them now. She couldn't.

_We are coming to get you and we will find you._

_I will find you._

The words played over and over and were the last thing she thought before a darkness blacker than night swept all her thoughts away.

**Keep going or stop?**


	3. Good Luck

**A nightmare in Paris **

**Chapter 3**

In the back of the car James slept soundly – still clad in green pyjamas with smiling red dinosaurs. In contrast Phillipa in the seat on the other side of the car was wide awake her eyes flicking nervously between the three adults in the car. Uncle Arthur sat in the front while her dad drove and Uncle Eames sat in the back between her and James.

"Daddy" her voice was nothing more than a whisper and she leaned forward closer to her father hoping she wouldn't disturb uncle Arthur who still had a phone pressed tightly to his ear,

"Yes sweetheart"

"Why are we going to visit Grandpa?" she frowned when her father didn't answer her straight away and looked up to the man beside her when her uncle wrapped an arm around the back of her seat.

"Auntie Ari needs some help Pippa so we're going to help her and you're going to have to stay with Grandpa until she's all better" for a moment the young girl was quiet digesting her fathers words, her brow refusing to smooth,

"Can I help her too Daddy?"

"You know what Auntie Ari would love kiddo" Eames spoke from beside her and wide eyes peered up at him a moment later in question,

"You should draw her lots of your pictures while you stay with your grandpa alright. They always cheer Ari up" Phillipa smiled softly at Eames' words and nodded her head. A moment later a yawn stretched her jaw wide and the girl after thinking for a moment slid down in her chair leaning her head against Eames' arm and closing her eyes ready to get some sleep like her brother.

"Daddy"

"mmmmm"

"You won't be gone for too long right?" she asked and both Eames and Arthur caught the pained expression that spread across the drivers face,

"No sweetheart I won't be I promise. We'll be back home before you know it"

"Can we bring Auntie Ari back with us?" she asked and Cobb knew that if he turned and looked at his daughter he'd be met with the best puppy dog eyes she could muster,

"We'll see Pippa. Get some sleep now" silence filled the car for several minutes. The only sounds were the tires spinning at a fast speed along the road. To the airport. To Paris. To Ariadne.

"Alright thank you we'll be there in under thirty minutes" Arthur said into the phone at a low volume before hanging up,

"Saito's organised a plane to leave as soon as we get there. He told us to not hesitate to call" Cobb nodded his eyes focused on the road, unblinking. Eames let his head roll back against the seat behind him and didn't move – not wanting to jostle the little girl who was still leaning against his body her warmth soothing him in a way that only these children could do.

Less than forty minutes later a content Phillipa lay sleeping in a comfortable aeroplane seat beside her brother who rested his head against her shoulder. Across from them their father sat rigid still in an identical plush seat with a recording device at his ear. Behind him Arthur and Eames sat, the former typing quickly, flicking between screens on his laptop and Eames spoke fast on the phone in quiet yet forceful words.

Once Cobb had updated Miles of their progress he'd accepted the small voice recorder from Arthur that the point man had pulled out of nowhere the last time they'd spoken to Ariadne. Dom closed his eyes trying to evade the headache he knew was coming.

"_Dom tell me what to do…please" _he could hear her voice, her panic. Yet he could still see her smiling face from when he'd dropped her off at the airport only the day before. She shouldn't have left early. A week after jobs wasn't long enough. An unsettling feelings sat in his stomach making him uncomfortable in his seat. Who had her, who was it? What did they want? Dom cursed wondering if it was because she had pulled off inception in her first job – had that gotten out? Or maybe it was because Miles, Arthur, Eames along with himself had taken great lengths to protect her since she'd started in the business.

What did they want?

"_Good luck" _the former extractors eyes narrowed as a different voice filled his head.

Dom frowned trying to rid his head of the questions he couldn't answer and jammed his thumb down on the small button of the recorder.

"_So love there might be a new job" Dom's ears had picked up as the forger lounging on his couch, whiskey in hand. Yes he was out of the business – for good. And he was okay with that, but unlike Miles he wasn't opposed to hearing about the details of the work Arthur, Eames and Ariadne were getting up to. Particularly the latter. He had after all been the one to pull her into this world, to teach her how to build a world in her own mind and how to control it. He had taught her to dream. _

_It wasn't uncommon for Ariadne to send him texts and emails of a incomplete sketch asking for advice or even simply comments on her work – which was never short of brilliant. And it was nice to design again. He suspected that it was more about getting him involved again, in the way he used to love, giving him back something he lost in past. But whatever the motive he had another reason to thank the young architect who had become family. _

_When she hadn't responded to Eames' teasing tone, Dom hadn't been worried, assuming that their young architect had been distracted by something or someone – another thing not uncommon. After several attempts to regain her attention he'd frowned and caught Arthur lookup from his laptop screen peering almost quizzically at his phone that sat on the lounge table – between them._

"_Ariadne?" he called leaning forwards slightly. His frowned deepened as they heard her breathing quicken. Arthur quickly discarded his laptop to the floor in front of him,_

"_ARIADNE" he called almost yelling. For a moment Dom worried that his children would be roused but the sharp intake of breath from the phone distracted him,_

_Thankfully it seemed to work and Dom knew that while the point mans 'angry or urgent or impatient' tone was familiar to both him and Eames it was rarely if ever directed at Ariadne, _

"_Arthur" she sounded as if she'd had the air knocked from her lungs and the fear he could hear caught in her words made his heart begin to beat faster._

_What the hell was going on? Was she in trouble? Hurt?_

"_There's people…..men I think….they're tall…in the window…in my apartment…they're.." her words were incomplete but were more than enough to cause panic within the three men sitting in his lounge room. _

"_Oh my god, oh god they've got Anita!" they could hear the horror in her voice and Cobb could see the bright, smiling young woman he'd met once when he'd visited Ariadne in Paris. She had opened Ariadne's apartment door and ushered him in once informing him that Ariadne had run to the shops. Then she'd introduced herself as Ariadne's best friend Anita and produced him a plate of dinner to match their own. She was similar to Ariadne in many ways and involuntarily his eyes flickered towards the forger who was sitting on his left. He knew that the two got along – well. _

_The forger hadn't moved from his jaw had certainly tightened. Eames listened to the tremble in Ariadne's voice and could picture their young architect, wide eyed, by the bins staring up at her apartment. It had been he, after all, who'd informed her to close her blinds when he'd taken the trash out one night – or when he'd been pushed out the door with a rubbish bag and a kiss on the cheek from Ariadne._

"_NOOOOOOO" when the sound ripped from Ariadne's voice he could hear her distress and could imagine her stumbling forward. As she had jumped into limbo for Cobb he had no doubt Ariadne would run towards her apartment for another person she loved. _

"_Ariadne NO" his voice was hard and serious. Had he ever been serious with her?_

"_Do not go into that apartment Ariadne…stay where you are" he could only pray that she would listen, pray that she would go back to the apartment. She was good in fact she was brilliant but she was also small and the last thing they needed was for their architect to be taken by god knows who. _

"_They've got Anita…Eames….Ani…I can't..no..I… please…no" he felt his chest tighten as Ariadne pleaded with him and he wished that he was there to keep her still and go and get Anita himself. He was quite fond of the vivacious friend._

"_Ariadne take a breath" Cobb's words were enough to pull Eames from his thoughts and he was glad to hear her suck in a deep breath. When she gasped loudly a moment later Eames ran a hand through his hair. Arthur, on the other side of the table, had picked up his computer once more and retrieved his bag and was already attaching cords to the phone. He knew what he was doing and he could only hope it would help. But how could it, they were too far away –_

"_Police are on their way" Arthur murmured his eyes not leaving his screen, _

"_Darling what's happening?" he asked when he heard a sob leave her throat. _

"_There's more….." Eames felt his heart drop. This was serious. Bad. He jumped up from his seat unable to sit as a prickly feeling took over his body. Helpless. What could he do? He listened to Arthur questioning her and wondered if they'd missed anything? Had they not finished the job properly, had they screwed up, was the mark suspicious. Ariadne had been around him most after all. _

"_Peter" the name wasn't familiar to him. At least it wasn't in association to Ariadne. Yet Arthur's fingers began to move faster while Eames began to pace trying to think. Peter? _

"_Noooooooooooo" the horrid sound that reached them through the phone forced Eames to move back toward it once more and take his seat again, _

"_Ariadne….Ari sweetheart what's going on…do not got to the apartment" Dom said a hand curled on his chin. _

"_they're coming…please" Eames could hear her running. Could hear her footsteps on the pavement below her. His eyes snapped shut and suddenly he could picture the alleyway he knew she was in perfectly. It was dark, the bins just in the entrance, the washing lines slung between buildings. The ladder. _

"_Arthur….Eames….Dom….please" _

_The ladder._

"_Where are you now Ariadne?" he asked urgently,_

"_Nearly at the end" _

"_Okay stop" not giving her time to think, to panic, he continued,_

"_Ariadne there's a ladder you see it?...on your left, it goes up the side of the building" he could hear her turning and sighed with the relief when she answered,_

"_Go Ari…I want you to climb up it as fast as you can okay…if there's a window open, go inside otherwise go straight to the top. Put the phone in your pocket and climb now!" it was an order – there was nothing else for it. He heard her hesitate, knew the panic was taking over, knew that the Parisian student felt as if she was abandoning her friend. Anita. He frowned. Anita. They had to get her back, this was their mess, their fault, their problem and now an innocent young woman was caught up in it. Two if they could still count Ariadne, which he did._

_But it was much easier to find one than it was two and the last thing they needed was Ariadne being taken by others in the business,_

"_NOW ARIADNE" he demanded sharply. He hear choke on her own breath and then followed a rustling that they all knew to be Ariadne putting the phone in her pocket. As if they were underwater they listened to Ariadne pull down the ladder and Eames could picture her climbing as fast as she could. He knew they wouldn't stop but if she could get to the roof, get near someone else, get away then she still had a fighting chance. They still had a chance. _

"_They're following me!" her cry was shrill, panicked, her voice shaking. And there was nothing more that Eames wanted than to be there beside her to calm her down and wrap his arms around her – after he'd placed several well aimed shots over the side of a building. _

_His stomach twisted – what now? How the hell were they supposed to keep her safe now?_

_The look Arthur was giving him told him that the point man already knew – they were going to take her. They were going to take her from them. _

"_What…now…please now what?" he could hear the tears dripping down her face and pictured the roof top once more. Within a minute his hope was shot once more when he couldn't get her back inside the building. He could imagine more men climbing up the staircase and the others climbing the ladders – nowhere to run._

_The forger dropped his head into his hands, his throat stinging,_

"_Sweetheart I want you to find somewhere to hide and be as quiet as you can darling. The police are on their way" Cobb. He was the father of the group after all. He could hear her running and sucked in a deep breath when she spoke once more imagining her small form under the tanks – there was no way he'd be able to get under them._

"_Good girl, you're doing good Ari deep breaths" when the three heard a bang that was unmistakably a gunshot they all tensed – froze. They were there. Eames knew there was nothing they could do – nothing else that they could do to help her. They were going to take her and there was nothing they could do – and that thought alone sent a rage he hadn't felt in a long time coursing through his body. _

"_They're going to take you" the noise that came from Ariadne at Cobb's words was like a shot to his chest. As if someone had sliced her chest open and stabbed her in the back leaving her breathing gasping for breath. _

"_Listen Ari….listen to us" he said calmly, trying to offer her even a shred of comfort. He looked up to Arthur then who shuffled in his chair finally unfocused on his screen – he knew there was nothing more that he could do. He knew that the woman he'd taught to dream was now in trouble – and he couldn't keep her safe. And if there was one thing Eames knew it was that Arthur Coleman was going to realise exactly how much he felt for their architect even if he'd been trying to deny it for months on end now. _

_Arthur discarded his laptop placing it back on the floor before he leaned closer to the phone to give his directions. He could hear her choked breaths as he instructed her on what to do. It was foreign for the point man – this fear. Sure he was often worried, concerned, scared, fearful. But this was different. This was overwhelming, taking over his thoughts and brain and mind and nerves. Ariadne. _

_Then he could hear them and from the expressions on Dom and Eames' face they could as well. Yelling and shouting – Arthur strained his ears but couldn't quite make out their words – the language._

_There was hope. For one beautiful moment, one single peaceful moment there was hope. And then had come the noise that Arthur would never forget. Never._

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" if he'd ever doubted that the architect could scream he wouldn't make the mistake again. His fingers dug into the chair as his blood ran cold. He could imagine he being pulled roughly from her hiding spot – hands on her body. Hurting her. Holding her. Restraining her. The phone cluttered to the ground and the sounds became quieter. They could, however, still hear her protests, her screams. He cheered as she gave him a number, how many there were – it was a start. Her screams after that and any words she yelled were smothered by rougher voices yelling to each other._

_And while the screams and yells were disturbing, horribly disturbing, while her voice would ring in their ears for days – the silence was worse. Obviously being pulled away she became quieter until nothing was left. Until they couldn't hear anything. Until they had no idea where their architect was or what condition she was in._

_They were quick to move. Dom stood barely casting a glance at the other two while muttering something about packing a bag for the kids. Eames had grabbed his phone and stood and Arthur could only guess the number of contacts in Paris he would be phoning. _

_For a moment Arthur simply sat. He could hear the children waking and Eames' low voice. For a moment he wanted to be sick and then, then he heard it._

_No-one had yet bothered to move his phone that remained on the table and it took him a moment to realise what he was hearing - breathing, heavy and so unlike Ariadne's had been that Arthur wanted to simply reach through it and wrap his hand around the throat of the person and demand them to bring him back their architect. A cool rage poisoned his blood causing it to boil and his eyes glazed over – not seeing anything in front of him but Ariadne. He blindly reached for the phone before unplugging it and bringing it to his ear. _

"_I don't know who you are" his voice was calm, too calm but it was deadly in a way that few before had heard, _

"_I don't know what you want. If you are looking for a ransom I can tell you that I have money – lots of it. But what you should also know that I also have a very particular set of skills. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let her go now that will be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you – but if you don't, I will look for you, I will find you and I will kill you" his insides burned as his blood raced through his body yet his skin was cold, he was cold. It was at that moment that he looked up only to see a frowning forger before him. His gaze harderned, _

"_And I'm not alone" the point man added in the same deadened tone. For a moment there was silence on the other end of the phone. Silence apart from the breathing. And then a voice. _

"_Good luck"_

_Beep._

* * *

**Pretty please review!**

**Thankyou soooooooooooo much to those who have sent in reviews so far they definitely were responsible for making this chapter happen!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter and I hope to get the next one up really soon!**


	4. 96 hours

**A Nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 4**

Miles and Dom moved into the familiar warehouse, the latters eyes involuntarily moving towards the desk Ariadne had been hunched over for weeks designing their dreamscape - empty. Having landed at the airport a harried looking Miles had met them at the gate accepting a still sleeping James from Eames and walking alongside his son in law out of the airport. While Dom and Miles took the children back to Miles' home to stay which wasn't far from the university Eames and Arthur left the airport to find somewhere to work from. They did of course find themselves back at the warehouse. One because there was a slight chance whoever had Ariadne would come looking and two because Ariadne's empty desk would do nothing but push them harder to find her.

"Any news?" Miles enquired, his voice almost hoarse, forgoing any kind of greeting to the two men who were sat around Arthur's old desk. The point man in question nodded looking up, a similar weary yet determined and angry expression on his own face,

"The men we heard on the phone were speaking Albanian, based on their accents and dialects they're from a town called Tropoja" he explained leaning back in his chair watching Miles and Dom,

"North – and not somewhere I'd recommend for a vacation" Eames chimed in a darker tone that didn't suit him. The forger sat to Arthurs left another screen in front of him along with some different papers,

"The one I spoke to, his name's Marco" Arthur explained turning the computer to show them an image that was no doubt from a CIA file,

"We have information that a mobster boss by the name of Marco Odja moved to Paris about six months ago" Cobb nodded his eyes fixed on the screen, on the man they were going to find. Soon.

"Anita's parents are in England so we need find them quickly otherwise I'm sure they'll contact the police. As far as I know they speak regularly"

"We need to head to her apartment see if we can find anything more that will tell us who they are and where they might be" Eames said and Miles and Dom nodded,

"The kids?" Arthur asked after pulling the computer back towards him and closing it hastily,

"Settled and tucked in, they're with Maria" Dom answered receiving a curt nod.

* * *

Nothing in the alley way appeared out of place as they moved down it and Eames' eyes found the ladder that was still hanging down. Arthur was quick to point out the various footprints on the muddier sections of the a cobblestone,

"You two climb up and we'll head up the building see if there's anything?" Cobb suggested and was only met with agreement before turning and heading out of the alley way, Miles in tow.

"After you darling" Eames gestured and Arthur rolled his eyes before pulling himself up the ladder – almost grateful and the familiarity of Eames' annoyances. They climbed to the top in silence not because there wasn't plenty to say but because their heads were swirling with thoughts they were still trying to process. When Arthur effortlessly pulled himself over the side of the building his eyes instantly found the water tanks and his heart lurched as they zeroed in on the small object that lay beneath them,

"No padlock" Eames muttered from behind him swinging the latch shut. Arthur strode towards the tanks his eyes not leaving his focus, leaving the forger to track through Ariadne's steps as he would normally do. Arthur pulled his tie from his neck before picking up the phone making as little contact as possible. For a moment he just stared at it before noticing the small low battery symbol insistently flashing at him.

"Bloody hell" the curse from behind him made Arthur turn only to spy the blood on the brick wall that Eames was standing before. With a twisting stomach Arthur focused back on the phone before looking up its most recent activity, he saw the phone call that had apparently lasted for four minutes and thirty five seconds –it had felt to Arthur like hours and seconds all at once. He did however pause at the small video icon and frowning pressed it.

The sound that was emitted from the device was the same that had been running through Arthur's head for the past hours – ever since the phone call. Within seconds Eames had stalked across the rooftop and was at Arthurs side peering over his shoulder,

"Clever girl" the forger murmured. In the end it wasn't much, they could see boots and hear Ariadne's frantic breaths, they heard their own voices trying to calm her, giving her advice that hadn't helped. And they both flinched with the sudden movement that had the phone tumbling from the architects hands as she was pulled backwards. It had however landed upright and through the slats the tanks sat upon both men could see a flurry of movement. Black, Black, Black and red. The red of Ariadne's jacket was swallowed as a larger man wrapped his arms around her frame pinning her arms to her sides,

"There!" Eames all but yelled making Arthur flinch once more – not like the point man at all. He paused the video and their eyes widened. The man's forearm was thick and muscled but both men could make out the small tattoo on the outside of his wrist,

"Recognise it?" Arthur asked and Eames nodded,

"I've seen it before but I can't tell you much more than that. I'll send it through see if our friends at the CIA can tell us anything" it was then that Miles and Cobb emerged from the building with nothing to report. By the time Arthur had filled them in Eames had sent the video to one of his numerous contacts.

His phone rang a moment later,

"Sammy I need you to confirm whoever you can with that video and get whatever you can from it – also I got blood here do you think you could send someone out"

"Any cameras?" Dom asked a moment later spinning around on his heel searching the rooftop only for both Arthur and Eames to shake their heads having already looked, the latter having hung up a second prior,

"We should be able to get the ones from inside though" Miles suggested,

"If anyone walked up the stairs or elevators we should be able to see them" Arthur nodded and the four took one last look around them before heading back to the ground to venture across the street to Ariadne's apartment. They'd all been there and although they all had a copy on their key rings it was Arthur that fished his key out and opened her door.

Ariadne's travel bag – one that Arthur had brought her not too long ago, one that she indeed loved, still sat just inside her door, untouched. They took in the mess that was her living area, two of her chairs were upturned and there was blood on one of the walls while glass littered the floor and evidently the wine that had filled it. A single matching glass still sat on the counter half filled with wine.

Nothing else in the apartment was out of place or had been touched, nothing taken as far as they knew – just the two women who had occupied it only ten hours before.

* * *

"Eames?"

"Yeah" the forger answered not liking the wary tone of the voice on the other end. He flicked the phone onto speaker laying it on the desk in front of him,

"Ok I got the information about the tattoo – tell me who is Ariadne Phillips to you?" the man on the other end asked and Arthur frowned at the phone. That was never a good place to start a phone call like this,

"What have you got Sam?" Eames asked once more but there was a bite in his voice that wasn't there before, apparently the forger didn't appreciate his ex-colleagues tone either,

"Alright listen the tattoo is group ID are you alone or am I on speaker?"

_Who's with you? - _Eames had worked alongside the young man long enough to know what he was saying,

"Colleagues, they're fine to hear" Eames responded gruffly and they all heard a sigh on the phone,

"Ok the specialty of the groups coming out of this area is…trafficking of women" with three words Eames paled unlike he'd ever before, Arthur froze mid-word his eyes unfocused and his jaw clenched, the air left Ariadne's professor who hastily sat down placing a hand over his mouth and Dom simply stared at the phone unable to comprehend what he had just heard.

_Trafficking of women. Trafficking. _

"_Dom help me…please…tell me …what do I do?"_

"Keep going" Eames voice was gruff and slightly strangled,

"Okay" Sam's was slightly softer and apologetic,

"Their previous MO was to offer women from the emerging east European countries, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria jobs in the west as maids and nannies once they'd smuggled them in they'd addict them to drugs and turn them into prostitutes" an audible gasp came from Miles this time,

"Fuck" Eames cursed. Dom and Arthur simply remained silent. The silence that was too real – too thick, it was suffocating, like thick fog,

"Lately however they've decided that it's more economical just to kidnap travelling young women – saves on transportation costs" Sam continued hesitantly,

"What else"

"Based on what they know about how these groups operate our analyst says you have a 96 hour window from the time she was grabbed" Sam explained,

"To what?" Arthur asked sharply though they knew the answer, they all did,

"To never finding her"

**Hi I know it's slightly dramatic – I hope not too much! It does however follow the plot of Taken (the movie) kind of.**

**Please, please, please review, let me know if it's at an alright pace. I feel as though I'm rushing a bit through it but at the same time I've got lots to go….and there was a taken 2 so you never know **

**Anywho thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. I will find you

**A Nightmare in Paris **

**Chapter 5**

She woke to the smell of cigarette smoke and blood. Silent. And dark.

Her eyelids fluttered struggling to open. _What was happening? Where was she? _Yet before she'd even had time to gather her bearings or even to remember her name Ariadne was thrown to the ground causing her head to smack down on something hard - the floor? She couldn't think straight, as if her head was emerged in a cloud of thick fog. It was only then that sound reached her and her eyes reflexively clamped shut as her ears felt as though they'd begun to bleed. Slowly the world around her returned to a more regular volume and she felt the grumbling vibrations of a vehicle before her mind was able to process where she was.

With no warning images – too bright for the darkness she found herself drowning in flooded into her mind – _Men, boots, climbing, running, Anita, tanks, the laughing, the blood, her head smacking against the wall, being pulled across the roof, the needle, the blackness. I will find you. _

Her eyes widened not that it allowed her to see anything more. Her chest heaved and her eyes welled as panic built. Where was she? What was going on? What had happened? Her thoughts were cut short as the car, which sounded more like a truck, hit another ditch and she was thrown down once more. It was only then as she was attempting to struggle back up the pain registered and it left her gasping for breath. Tears fell down her cheeks of their own accord, her heart was beating, fast, throbbing uncontrollably in her chest, echoing off her skull. Her head ached and her body stung. She could remember the grip that held her, vice-like that she'd never had a chance of throwing off, of escaping.

Pins and needles. They enveloped her body, gripping it and making her want to tear her skin apart – her hands especially but she quickly realised it was because of whatever had been wound tightly around her wrists – too tightly. Tape? The same as the strip across her mouth probably, holding her lips closed, preventing any sound she supposed and making it harder to breathe. The smell of blood took over her senses for a moment and she realised it was only because it was her hair – wet with it and she vaguely remembered her head bouncing forcefully off the wall on the rooftop – her last memory. The rooftop – phone, Arthur, Eames, Cobb.

Her eyes widened once more as they filled her thoughts,

_We will find you, I will find you_

For a second their voices provided comfort, allowing her to breathe. And then another familiar face entered her vision which forced the young architect to push herself up ignoring the protests in her hands that she could now just barely feel.

Anita.

She couldn't panic. She knew that it wouldn't get her anywhere, although she didn't know what else she could possibly do in that moment. It slowly became more obvious that she was in the back of a truck, the compartment was small. Her head was groggy and she could still feel the slight sting of the needle that had been roughly shoved into her neck not with any of the care or gentleness Arthur or Yusuf would use.

Anita.

She shook her head and winced realising her mistake when lights erupted behind her eyelids. Was this because of the job, panic swelled again within her chest. She knew that there were worse things than being shot in a dream, she knew that there were real consequences that could take place in very real reality. That's why there was always down time after each job, it was why Arthur and Eames were always so careful. It was why Cobb and Miles had been so wary of her plans and lack of patience – was this why?

Anita.

She forced herself to focus. Anita. She could remember seeing her friend, from the alleyway being thrown against the wall by a much larger body. She had to find her. She had to find her and get them out, get her out. She wouldn't allow her best friend to be caught up in this.

Ariadne gingerly stretched one of her legs out towards the other side of the truck. When it came in contact with nothing she was unsure if it was relief or devastation that flooded her body. Her eyes moved to where she knew the back of the truck must be since she could hear the spluttering motor to her left. Stretching once more and ignoring the pain it caused, she couldn't stop the sound that caught in her throat - thanks to the tape,

"Ari?" the voice was panicked but familiar and it was relief this time that coursed through her veins, dousing the panic if only for a moment. Before long she was raising her bound hands to touch the face she knew belonged to her friend that she could hear crying quietly. When she felt her lips not shielded by any tape she raised her hands to her own face and pulled the tape wondering, for a moment, why she hadn't thought to rid herself of it before.

"Anita" the name came out as a sob but it was quickly joined by others. It was then that the older girl found Ariadne's wrist and began to undo the tape that bound them. As the blood surged back into her fingers she gasped painfully but proceeded to do the same for Anita and finally free of restraint they wrapped their arms tightly around each other,

"Ari…what's happening…where are we, what happened?" Ariadne closed her eyes when she realised she had no answers to any of the questions burying her face in her friends neck holding her tightly before pulling back slightly. Neither girl dared to raise their voice louder than a whisper,

"I don't know…I don't…." she trailed off and shushed her friend when she began to explain what had occurred in the apartment,

"I know I saw…I saw" Ariadne said.

"How long have we been in here?" she asked a moment later and felt Anita shake her head from beside her not moving away,

"I don't know….a long time though but…I don't know Ari…I don't understand what's happening" the panic in Anita's voice did nothing to soothe her own,

_We will find you Ariadne _

"Arthur…..Arthur and Eames and Dom…they know, they know what happened" she said quietly and Anita sat up further drawing closer to Ariadne,

" I was on the phone when I saw you, in the window….I saw what happened and then they came to get me and they know…Ani they'll find us I promise…I think…I think this might have something to do with my job" she said in one breath, heaving another after she finished. For a moment there was only silence in the cabin,

"I knew I didn't really know what you were doing" Anita whispered after several beats of silence,

"It's hard to explain but I promise Ani, I promise they'll get us back. Arthur and Eames…they'll find us soon I know they will, I'm so, so sorry" she said and it was then that she realised something that made another wave of fear and dread and horror wash over her body,

"Are we slowing down?" Anita asked breathlessly and Ariadne could only nod. Both girls, without needing to speak, instinctively moved to the back of the truck, as far as they could their arms sliding back around each other – finding more comfort in doing so – feeling stronger. Ariadne sucked in a breath only to find the air made her lungs sting, _what would Arthur, and Eames and Cobb do?_

"When we stop try to notice anything about where we are ok" she instructed feeling Anita begin to shake but her friend nodded as well and they waited feeling the truck slow,

"We're going to be fine Ari" Anita said a moment later and the architect had no doubt that her classical literature studying best friend was trying to assure herself as much as she was Ariadne. It was when the vehicle came to a stop that another idea flitted into Ariadne's mind. She knew these men were violent, in her time with Arthur and Eames and often Yusuf, in her time since endeavouring further into the world of extraction and dream share she'd come to know what lackeys were and these men were certainly those of a delivery service, they were taking them somewhere, doing someone elses bidding and as she became horribly aware of the more painful areas of her body once more she was reminded they were obviously willing to use as much force as necessary,

"Wait…Ani pretend to still be unconscious…pretend we're still out of it and don't let on until we're alone again…they're taking us somewhere" she felt Anita nod and they moved apart. Ariadne, her head racing and her body trembling forced herself to relax as she closed her eyes tightly and waited. She could hear footsteps, her only comfort the slight touch of her friend against her leg.

Her fear spiked making bile rise in her throat when the doors were thrown open. She could hear voices, that appeared familiar, yet were in the same language that was completely foreign to her – the same she had listened to when she'd been crammed under the tanks. When Anita was pulled away from her Ariadne could only pray that her friend would be alright, she could never forgive herself if something happened to her, never would. This was her problem, because of her, Anita had nothing to do with this.

She had no time to think however and forced herself to remain quiet and to hold the tears at bay when a hand gripped her ankle and pulled. Her body screamed in protest as it was roughly handled and she held her breath as she was unceremoniously thrown over someones shoulder. She hid her face against his back, not allowing it to be visible should she slip up. The blood rushed to her head making her dizzy and reminding her that she was still groggy from whatever had been injected into her body however long ago she had been on the rooftop.

She felt it was hot, and the man who she was being carried by was sweaty and stunk of the heat and humidity. Ariadne heard the doors being closed, more voices before the truck started again and she tried not to flinch at the sound as it drove away. They were not outside for long, but the heat did not fade even as the sound of footsteps did as they moved from gravel to something softer. She felt shelter from the sun and tried not to brace herself as she was pulled back over his shoulder and placed in a chair.

She forced her muscles to relax, trying not to shake. To her right she could hear movement and could only imagine Anita. She prayed the men didn't feel the slight resistance in her arms when they pulled them back at a horrible and painful angle to tie,

"Hello my dear, dear Anna" the familiar voice caused Ariadne's eyes to fly open in horror and she found herself staring into the smirking face of the same man that had tripped and charmed her at the airport. Her eyes darted around the room – bare, with one door and five bulky men standing around her. Peter, whose name she had remembered stood in front of her his arms crossed in front of his chest as he looked down upon her with a hardened and almost malicious glint to his gaze - gone was the charming gentleman wanting to split a cab fare. Anita was tied to a chair as she had been a metre to her right and looked as scared as she felt,

The room was dark, thick with tobacco smoke and dirty – the only light was that streaming in from outside.

"Anna from California" his voice made her eyes fly back to Peter,

"What do you want?" her voice was sturdier than she could have hoped but before she had time to congratulate herself the back of his hand stung her cheek, causing her neck to snap sideways and she heard Anita's outraged cry. She felt blood in her mouth and then his hands on her thighs as he crouched in front of her,

"My dear you do not speak unless I want you to, that is the first thing you are to learn" his thumb stroked her burning cheek causing her body to wrack with disgust. His smile was sickening to look at,

"How old are you Anna?" he asked and her lips involuntarily tightened, her eyes narrowing,

"You speak now Anna, answer me" he demanded only a moment later. He raised a hand to grip her chin his nails digging painfully into her skin,

"21…she's 21 please" Anita's voice was loud dripping with horror but Peters gaze did not move,

"Your friend can speak" he said holding her gaze forcefully. He released his grip on her chin and cupped her face with his hand,

"Tell me Anna, did you come to city of love for a reason?" his words made her nauseous as his hand ran over her skin and down her neck only to trace along her collarbone. His fingers seemed to stretch but she refused to move, refused to answer, even though she was unsure of why, as his hand wrapped around her throat applying just enough pressure to make her swallow and he grinned before standing and pulling away. Anger surged through her, poisoning her blood, burning her skin as she realised he had made her do something, her eyes narrowed but she sucked in a breath of relief as he moved away. It was short lived however as she realised he had simply moved towards Anita,

"Now you can talk can't you, are you 21 as well?" he asked and it was then, as Ariadne watched him lean forward and plant his hands on the arms of Anita's chair, she realised that his words were no longer stilted and his accent wasn't quite as Spanish as before,

Anita nodded and he raised a hand to squeeze her shoulder,

"Good girl, see this can be easy. What's your name?" he asked a moment later and Ariadne knew her friend was panicking unsure if to give her real one or not. Peter chuckled watching her discomfort,

"Actually no, it doesn't matter. We don't need your name here" he said and ran the back of his knuckles down her cheek,

"You're both very beautiful, you must be from the UK. Tell me are you an innocent young woman or not?" for a moment Ariadne was confused but when Peters hand dropped to Anita's knee sliding up her thigh her eyes widened,

"Don't touch her!" she felt the words escape her lips dripping with fury before they'd even formed in her mind. They couldn't hurt her, Anita shouldn't have been here, they wanted her, she had to stop them, she had to get Anita out. Peter, however, ignored her staring down at Anita whose eyes had welled and she shook her head, not in answer to his question but more in disbelief at what was happening. How was she supposed to process this?

"Hmmmm not as friendly as I thought you were" he straightened up for a moment and Ariadne watched her friend visibly relax. It was then that he muttered several sentences to the men around him who nodded their agreement, or was it their confirmation of an order? She was only left to guess, guess everything, from where she was, to the language she was surrounded with.

The thoughts flew from her mind when Peter turned back to her. He gripped her face once more,

"You be a good girl for my friends Anna. I would hate to have to come back" she didn't miss the threat and a horrifying cold set through her body as Peter left the room not looking back and the other men advanced forward towards them.

**Hi guys, next chapter. I know not much happens, but I just wanted to get something up. I hope you still like it, let me know!**

**Thanks sooooooooooooo much for the reviews so far, they've certainly inspired the chapters! Thank you**

**Please take a sec to review!**


	6. Dream, Reality, Nightmare?

**A nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"We can't rule out that this isn't because of a job" Arthur stated letting a file drop from his hands on the warehouse desk. Cobb had moved back slightly, leaning against the wall behind him while Miles remained unmoving his eyes still focused on the phone that Eames had disconnected not long before. The forger himself nodded his head in agreement his shoulders still tense and his fingers gripping the table edge.

Arthur felt the stone that had formed in his throat.

_Trafficking of women. _

They hadn't trained her enough. Not for something like this. They hadn't taught her to fight well enough, to defend herself, to protect herself. Arthur swore to himself that as soon as they had her back he and Eames would make sure this could never happen again. Sure, they'd trained her, she knew how to use a gun, knew how to escape someone's hold, new some basic defence and knew the parts of Eames and Arthur's bodies that would make them release her quickly – but this was reality. And no-one had to tell him of the differences between it and a dream. Besides Ariadne was much more likely to build herself and her colleagues a hidden corridor than to dive into combat,

"If this was by people in the business why haven't they contacted us?" Cobb questioned and Arthur sighed,

"Maybe they wanted her" Eames suggested and they focused on him instead,

"Maybe they needed an architect and this has nothing to do with either of you or any of us. Hell we all know how hard it is to get a good architect for a job and if I'd heard of a new one that'd pulled of inception on their first job. Worked with Cobb and studied under Stephen Miles….." the forger trailed off not needing to elaborate,

"We've been pretty careful about keeping her exposure quiet" Arthur said and Eames nodded,

"But she's still worked with others, we've had a couple other extractors and chemists people know of her and it doesn't take long for news to spread in this world Arthur you know that better than anyone" Arthur nodded at his words,

"Alright we'll get onto Yusuf and Saito see if they can dig up anything"

"I've got some old contacts that still keep me up to date on everything" Miles added retrieving his phone and Arthur nodded suggesting the others follow suit,

"And if it's not related?" Cobb asked from behind him causing Arthur to turn,

"I'm working on getting access to the airport surveillance, Eames' CIA buddy's still working to get us info on the group. We go from there" Arthur said pulling his laptop closer once again and Cobb nodded before pulling his own phone from his pocket.

* * *

Her arms felt bruised, painful and were stinging sharply. Two hessian bags had been roughly shoved over their heads and drawn around their necks, the smell suffocated her and made her dizzier than she'd been to start with. They'd gripped her arms once again and none too gently pulled her to her feet before pushing her forwards. Her feet stumbled in front of one another and she tripped more than once when they hit stairs.

It was only when they got up the rickety, squeaking staircase that Ariadne frowned – although her face remained covered. Without her sight and smell she was forced to rely on her ears. She could remember Eames wrapping Arthurs tie around her eyes whispering some lewd remark behind her ear, she'd swatted him making him chuckle but the exercise had done it's job and Ariadne had managed to shoot Arthur who had moved around her silently.

But that had been a dream. Suddenly her whole world stopped.

A dream.

Ariadne's heart stopped. Dead in her chest. Was this a dream? Were these projections? Had she fallen asleep on the plane? A cold fear ran through her body and even further into the core of her a spark of hope flickered. Maybe this was all a dream, she would just have to wake up then. Wake up and it would all be over.

God she wanted it to all be over. She could feel her bishop from where it sat in her pocket. How had she not thought of it already? She frowned as she traced her steps back in her head, she knew exactly how she got here, got there, got wherever she was.

Before she could think anymore a scream erupted from somewhere in front of her and only caused Ariadne's frown to deepen. It wasn't Anita that much she knew, so who else was there? Was this about the job? Was it a dream? The young architect could feel a headache coming now but knew she had to bide her time and wait; mainly due to the fact that her hands were still held firmly behind her back.

As she was forced down the hall she could hear quieter screams or yells of protests and lots of voices. Angry, upset, hysterical. Where was she?

"No, wait Ari- Anna" Anita. Ariadne started forward when she heard her voice and Anita's quick correction of her 'name'.

"Ani?" she called pulling her arms away, needing to get to her friend, what was happening? But she was pulled backwards harshly and would have fell if not for the two hands holding her back. She was soon turned around, away from Anita. No. She was pushed forward and heard a door being unlocked and before she could even try to pull away she was unexpectedly thrown forward into the room. She hit the ground, hard, and groaned quietly but her hands were now free and she ripped the bag off from over her head. It took Ariadne half a second for her eyes to adjust to the light but she quickly turned her head when she heard sound,

"No! Anita no!" pushing herself to her feet she launched towards the door that slammed shut before she could make it. When she realised there was no handle her heart lurched in fear and she gripped at the door with her nails in hope of anything still hearing Anita beyond it but there was no use and Ariadne felt her eyes well as she heard the lock.

She turned and slid down the back of the door until she hit the floor listening hard as Anita's voice faded and another door slammed shut as well. The room she had found herself in was almost empty. It had no windows and was small, about as big as her bathroom at home. Big enough for a single mattress to be thrown on the floor and for someone to walk around it. But no extra space than that. Looking at the mattress she felt ill, it was dirty and she could easily see blood. The bile rose in her throat as she pushed it away with her foot. It was then that she heard heavy footsteps leaving and silence. Nothing but silence and a dirty mattress.

Dream.

Her fingers shook as they struggled to get to her pocket but when they did she pulled the small object out, her heart racing fast. When it fell exactly as it did in her apartment, before she got on the plane, when she had woken up that morning at Doms her heart fell.

Reality.

The fear began to ebb back in and easily distinguished the hope that had flickered. Not a dream, a nightmare – and she couldn't wake up.

* * *

Arthur was no stranger to sifting through video footage. It could be tedious and monotonous and down right boring but he could only hope that it would pay off. That he would find something that would give them any kind of hint towards where Ariadne was, or who had taken her there.

Yusuf had provided them without much as had Saito – the latter however had offered use of his private team in Paris that Arthur shouldn't have been surprised about. They had had declined the offer for the moment but Saito had assured the team his men were on standby, ready if needed, and Arthur allowed himself to take some comfort in their rising numbers,

Even after numerous phone calls the four men were yet to discover even a whisper of 'a new architect' or any kind of devious movement.

When his computer beeped his heart lurched and his eyes snapped to the top right hand screen of his computer. Eames who sat beside him leant towards the computer.

"Who's that?" he asked when he saw the small image of a man that had appeared. Cobb and his father in law were quick to round the desk,

"This is Peter"

"_I…..I don't know…he was at the airport….I don't know him he was waiting at the taxi's he's not…..he wasn't…-"_

When Ariadne had told them over the phone about Peter alarm bells had gone off in his head. The name has been on his mind since the call and he'd been waiting on getting access to the surveillance footage to put a name to a face.

When he'd finally isolated the day that he wouldn't be forgetting in a hurry he watched the young man brush past Ariadne. His chest had tightened at the sight of her – alive, unharmed, safe–

The more Arthur watched the more suspicious he grew. Rewinding the tape he watched as Peter, who had sat in a café with a newspaper as Ariadne and Anita had walked down the stairs, had shared a glance Arthur was sure was supposed to be conspicuous with another man sitting on the other side of the lobby. A swift nod between the two had Peter rising from his chair, discarding the newspaper and following the two women out of the airport.

For a short amount of time it made Arthur think this Peter had been waiting for Ariadne – had known who she was on sight – had targeted her. However the ever meticulous point man had done his job properly and going back through the video he was quick to find that Peter had been at the airport eight times in the previous three weeks, and each time he'd stumbled into a girl or several in the taxi line.

With Cobb, Eames and Miles in place Arthur brought up an array of images, similar to the one they'd been looking at of Ariadne and Peter.

"Frequent Flier?" Eames remarked dryly,

"This certainly backs up the trafficking theory" Cobb added regretfully and Arthur nodded feeling his skin crawl as it did every time he thought about what Eames had managed to dig up about the group they'd found had taken their architect.

"He must have followed Ari home and he's shared a taxi with most of those other girls" Arthur nodded showing them the footage of Peter sliding into taxi's beside a range of girls. They varied but were all around Ariadne's age, where they were from didn't seem to matter,

"I'll send it through to Sam see if he can dig anything up on them" Eames stated and Arthur nodded,

"So what now?"

"Now we go to the airport for a taxi"

* * *

**Continue?**

**(I'm only unsure because I have a few stories to work on at the moment and I'm not sure where I should be focusing my attention) Thanks.**


	7. Spotting the spotter

**A nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 7**

Arthurs phone rung from his pocket where he stood against the side of the airport building. Before him stood a long line of slowly moving people waiting for taxi cabs. They'd been milling around the airport for several hours, Eames beginning by standing out the front of the airport while Arthur took a walk through it – each searching for the two men they'd found in the video and had imprinted into their minds.

He worked fast; Arthur had to give him that. On the tapes he'd watched the young man return up to four times in one day and he was hardly impressed with airport security – had they not noticed a man, the same man returning to airport – or had they noticed and not done anything about it? He wasn't after all, attempting to board a plane – did they have a reason for not doing anything about it? Were they being paid off?

The point man fished his phone out from his pocket expecting it to be Dom with an update. He and Miles had headed out at the same time Eames and Arthur had – both pairs determined to find something that would take them one step closer to Ariadne. Like Eames, the other three still had contacts in Paris and Dom was heading to visit an old associate of theirs they had worked with on a couple of jobs years ago.

He was surprised then to see Eames' number flash up on the screen. His eyes shot towards the entrance of the airport as he answered the phone, had Eames found them? He could only hope,

"I've got Peter following a young girl out, redhead just coming out now" Eames said quickly and Arthur casually turned as if to light another cigarette, something Ariadne would chastise him for if she was there, and spotted the young woman leaving the building tugging on a large suitcase,

"I'm trailing his friend who's following him" he continued before hanging up. Arthurs eyes narrowed as if to the sun and his blood ran cold when he watched a young man in a brown coat, identical to the one he'd caught smiling at Ariadne, kissing her lightly on both cheeks after tripping her over. His jaw clenched as he knew that almost half a day ago Ariadne had been right where he was now. She would have been right in front of him, waiting for Anita to pull up.

They'd sent Sam the image of Peter who had quickly gotten back to them that there was no record of the man anywhere on the system. It was more than unlikely that Peter was his real name, but little did Arthur care. He didn't need a name he just needed the location he could find Ariadne.

Eames, he saw, loitered far enough away as if waiting on a plane to arrive – continuously searching the arrivals screen – and not far in front of him Peters associate had stopped, trying to blend in without the ease Eames had perfected. Not that Arthur would admit it aloud.

"Hi" his voice made Arthurs blood churn. It was charming and caused the young woman to smile – unsuspecting of what was really happening, of where she could be in only hours.

"I'm Peter" he said offering her his hand which she shook,

"I'm Ingrid" her accent was thick as she considered the young, handsome man in front of her,

"On holidays?" he questioned and she nodded,

"Yes"

"Cool me too" Arthur wondered what Peter had said to Ariadne, if it had been the same, if they'd had a similar conversation,

"You know cabs here are so damn expensive. Want to share?" it was then that Arthur heard the twinge in Peters accent that he'd so far managed to pull off. It was fake. Ingrid, however, didn't appear to realise and he couldn't blame her,

"Sure why not" Arthur wanted to shake his head. He couldn't imagine a young woman simply getting in a taxi with a strange man seconds after meeting him. Yet here she was about to slide into the next car that pulled up. No longer was the point man cold in fact his eyes were narrowed and his heart beat was nosily drumming away in his head. He pulled his cigarette from his lips lazily and dropped it to the ground before stepping on it, his eyes never leaving the brown coat in front of him.

Peter played the gentleman pulling the door open for his latest victim but two steps forward by the point man and a gentle tug on her arm had Ingrid stumbling backwards, in surprise, away from the cab. With a not so gentle grasp Peter was pulled forward,

"Excuse me" Arthur apologised to the young woman now behind him before he gripped Peters arm, placing his other hand on his neck and forced him down and into the cab.

* * *

As soon as Arthur had began forward Eames, watching from a distance, started to move. The forger watched Arthur disappear into the cab after Peter and knew that the point man would not be getting out without some answers. From his new position beside a bench filled with luggage Eames easily intercepted the man that seemed to be Peters shadow who began moving forward quickly. With a flat hand and a quick, well placed jab to the side of the neck, followed by one to the ribs Eames positioned the man down on the bench who now appeared as if he was sleeping and counted his blessings that none of the busy moving passengers and staff had noticed.

Hearing a yell from behind him Eames swivelled on his heel only to see another large man pull Arthur from the cab by an ankle, the point man hitting the pavement none too gently. Eames' feet began moving before his mind caught up as he spied Peter as he jumped out from the other side of the cab the door flinging open and took off down the road without a backward glance intending to get as far away from Arthur as possible. He could see the taxi driver, who had obviously leapt from his vehicle trying to get the attention of security a panicked look on his face. Eames weaved between people until he finally made it onto the road that was busy with cars dropping off and picking up passengers, seeing Peter sprinting away Eames took off after him – he would be damned if he got away from them now.

* * *

In his mind he cursed himself, who were these people and how didn't he know they were here? Arthur looked at the two men who had appeared out of nowhere and wondered where the hell they'd been hiding. Were there others doing the same thing as Peter was?

Peter.

He'd yelled at the taxi driver to drive and cursed as the man had all but jumped out of the vehicle. A sharp elbow to the ribs and a well aimed punch to Peters' thigh had the man cowering in the corner of the car – he was not a fighter, that Arthur knew. He'd yelled covering his face, protecting himself,

"The American girl from yesterday, red jacket?" he'd demanded feeling his anger with the man he now had directly in front of him sear through his veins – he had taken Ariadne.

"I don't know! I don't …please" Peter had begged pulling further back away from the point man his eyes wide and panicked. Another jab to the thigh had made the man cry out in pain and two more to the ribs made Arthur hope he had gotten his point across,

"The girls you pick up from the airport, where are they?" He demanded once more and it was then that the door behind him opened and a hand wrapped around his ankle pulling him backwards. The point mans head has smacked onto the ground and he'd vaguely heard the screams of the people around him. He'd rolled onto his back a second later and sent a kick into the knee of the man in front of him kicking his feet out from beneath him. Unlike Peter however, this one had been trained to fight and they were both back on their feet at the same time the other man charging and driving Arthur back against the car. He grabbed the arm the man extended to punch him and pulled slamming the man forward sending a hard hit to his elbow the joint bending under his hand, allowing him to send a hit to his throat and Arthur wasted no time in placing a hand on the back of his head and slamming his head into the car causing him to hit the ground.

He was quick to step towards the other two that had appeared and who, several minutes later, had joined their friend on the ground beside him. Arthur spun on his heel finding an empty cab behind him and his eyes flicked up to see Eames running down the road and Peter not too far in front of him. Hearing the yells of security behind him Arthur threw the front door of the taxi open and started the vehicle taking off causing the traffic around him to screech to a stop.

* * *

Peter turned and his eyes widened when he saw Eames gaining on him. The forger watched the panic take over the younger mans features as he looked for a way out. The road had built upwards and they were now on a bridge that ran over another road that functioned for departures. Eames saw the van and knew even before Peter did what the young man would do in his panic,

It was obvious that Arthur had indeed done some damage as Peter ran with a limp in his step, and he could hear his breathless gasps from metres behind him.

Eames picked up the pace as Peter scrambled over the railing of the bridge and jumped with one more glance at Eames who stretched his arm out to grab the brown jacket. The forger swore as he watched the young man tumble off the top of the van and onto the road. But he frowned when the door opened and Peter was roughly pulled into the vehicle. There was a screeching of breaks from behind him and Eames turned to see Arthur before climbing into the cab as the point man took off heading for departures.

"Did he tell you anything?" the anger that was painted on Arthur's face told him what he needed to know and instead Eames gripped the door as they spun around and through traffic. It didn't take them long to catch up with the black van as it left the airport. By that time police vehicles were flooding into the area their sirens blazing. As Arthur held the accelerator down they watched the van, Eames noticed was plateless, plough through the traffic, not slowing as it approached the busy intersection that led into the airport. The van flew through it, despite the traffic flowing the other way leaving behind a trail of cars that had been forced to skid and spin to stop and Arthur and Eames cursed at the mess before them. That would stop them from following the van.

"Damn it!" Eames yelled as both men knew that they had no choice but to take off the opposite way as to avoid the police that were beginning to gather.

"We'll get Saito's men on it" Arthur suggested darkly and Eames nodded pulling his phone from his pocket to make the call.

"I'll get onto Sam to trace the van" Eames added and Arthur nodded before spinning the car around his eyes searching for another they'd need to change into soon. Arthur pulled his phone out at the same time his fingers easily ringing Dom without having to take his eyes off the road,

* * *

When the door opened Ariadne stood in the furthest corner from the door, her totem tucked safely back into her pocket. A large man was the first to enter the room his eyes finding her small frame immediately. Two women followed him and Ariadne frowned at the items they carried.

But without a seconds notice the man lurched forward causing Ariadne to yell in surprise. He slammed her against the wall, her feet leaving the floor and the air leaving her lungs. Before she could think a cloth was placed over her mouth and her eyes bulged at the foul stench. It didn't last long.

And all there was to see was darkness.

* * *

**Thank you so much for the reviews! They're very inspiring and I might have the next chapter up for you tonight or tomorrow – please review!**


	8. Friends in Paris

**A nightmare in Paris Plan**

**Chapter 8**

The retired extractor leaned comfortably back in the chairs crowded around the shop front of the small Parisian café. The father of two couldn't stop the memories of Ariadne's first dream where they'd found themselves in a similar situation – him explaining the world of dreaming to her.

Except now she wasn't sitting across from him, she wasn't looking at him with wide eyes swimming with curiosity, overflowing with unrestrained excitement. Now she was….well he didn't know where she was. He didn't even know if she was still in Paris.

Had it been worth it?

The question had first crawled into his head, infecting his thoughts on the plane ride over as he watched over his sleeping children. Had it been worth pulling Ariadne into this world, the world she now lived, the world she now loved – only for this to happen, only for her to be taken from them? But perhaps it wasn't because of a job, perhaps it had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with dreamshare he reminded himself, and there was a large part of Dominic Cobb that hoped it wasn't – yet something gnawed within his stomach as he thought about the alternative.

His eyes flitted upwards and scanned the pavement that ran up the street, searching faces as he had been doing for almost fifteen minutes. He knew he was in the right place, he knew it was the right time – perhaps he was late.

His eyes landed on a small woman whose shoulders were painted a bright red and he watched her, unblinkingly for a moment before he shook himself. He noticed how the red jacket she wore was too long – a coat. Her hair was the wrong brown, and she would probably reach his shoulder – a height Ariadne most certainly did not.

Cobb let his head fall back rolling his neck in a wide circle feeling his muscles stretch and his bones crack. The coffee before him had gone cold and his brow crinkled with displeasure when he raised it to his lips. It was only then when he glanced up once more that his eyes found a familiar form. Returning his gaze to the newspaper spread on his lap he waited for the man, wrapped in a long trench coat to pass before he began folding the paper and pushing the coffee further away.

He waited several counts before standing his eyes only flitting back up the street to see the car he knew Miles was waiting in still parked around the corner. Turning away he left some bills on the table before heading the direction the man had headed paper casually tucked under his arm– he could see him clearly now but remained around twenty paces behind. It wasn't long before he realised the man was slowing, dawdling to an extent and smirked as his shoulders tensed making a note to tease his old friend about his delayed reaction.

The lights changed causing the people on the streets of Paris to rush to cross the road, fortunately leaving only one man and Dom, slightly behind, on their side of the road. It wasn't long before he fell into step beside trench coat.

The flow of traffic quickly resumed and the roaring of engines and the beeping of horns provided the perfect blanket for their conversation. The man turned his head a fraction towards Dom before shaking his head a small smile playing on his lips,

"Just like the old days then" he spoke, sounding almost mildly amused but Dom could hear the curiosity in his words – he knew that he wasn't here for a social visit,

"Would you have it any other way?" Cobb retorted quickly causing the man's lips to quirk upwards, no doubt remembering their old meetings, their old business of which both had since moved on from,

"Between you and me of course not – but now that I sit behind a desk the world looks different" he said and Dom nodded, his friends thick accent taking him back to the memories of Mal and this family around a dinner table, toasting with full glasses of wine over the city of lights, or love.

"You mean boring?" he teased breaking out of the memory,

"I'm indifferent" was the response and Dom raised an eyebrow towards the man who shrugged nodding,

"Okay a little boring" he admitted before asking,

"But is being retired any more interesting?"

"It wasn't until a close friend of mine disappeared in Paris yesterday" Dom's gaze was focused straight ahead, across the street, but he didn't miss the man's head jerk towards him as he realised the severity of the situation that had just entered his life but before he had a chance to respond Cobb spoke once more,

"She and a friend were marked by a spotter at the airport, Albanians took her" the anger in his words couldn't be ignored by either of them,

"How do you know this?" the man asked sharply turning more closely to Dom with a concerned expression contorting his features,

"I'm retired not dead" Cobb said shortly and watched as the other man nodded turning back to face the passing cars,

"Please then pass on my regards to Arthur" his words caused Dom to smile wryly before nodding curtly,

"And I assume that you do not want to go to the police?" he asked and Cobb shook his head and rolled his eyes at the obvious answer knowing he need not reply,

"We were told that we have 96 hours, that was 16 hours ago" there was a moment of silence where Dom felt the impact of his own words hit him – hard. They'd lost sixteen hours. Sixteen. She'd been gone for longer than sixteen hours.

"Okay first we should find the spotter" Cobb began to nod before the sentence was completed causing the mans words to trail off,

"We found him and his friend" with a glance Cobb continued almost hesitantly,

"One's gone, the other's dead" his words caused another sharp look from the man standing beside him and his question matched,

"You found him that way?" he demanded and Cobb simply did not reply recalling the phone call he'd had with Arthur almost half an hour before. Cobb heard the man inhale a deep breath,

"Cobb you cannot just run around tearing down Paris unt-" at his words Cobb felt anger surge through him. This was Ariadne, didn't he understand, Ariadne. The college student, the young woman who had saved his life, who had sent him home to his children, who had given him his world back and had only just begun living her own,

"Jean Claude I will tear down the Eiffel tower if I have to" he spat, his words dripping with anger - at who he didn't know. Jean Claude? The men who took her? Himself?

Now the man turned to face him straight on,

"Don't forget who you're talking to" which caused Dom to turn as well,

"I thought I was talking to a friend" he said sharply causing Jean Claude to watch him for several seconds, his mind whirling. It was only a moment later that he reached inside his coat,

"You are" he said softly, nodding before he pulled out a small, white rectangle card,

"Just please remember that you're friend has a desk now" Dom accepted the card his eyes flitting down to take in the words,

"Deputy Director of Internal Security" he recited, nodding before looking back up,

"Very impressive" he congratulated the man before quickly adding,

"The Albanians?" not wanting to divert from the reason he was there. Jean Claude sighed,

"They showed up from the east, six – seven years ago, fifteen maybe twenty of them – now they are hundreds, we don't even know how many" and Cobb could see the frustration in his eyes,

"And they're dangerous" Jean Claude warned,

"So I heard" Cobb remarked dryly,

"Where do I find them?"

"The best place to find them is Port d'Atelier – "his words ceased when Dom turned and began to cross the road swiftly pocketing the card with nothing but a nod towards the old friend,

"DOMINIC TRY NOT TO MAKE A MESS" were the only words called after him as he disappeared into the stream of Parisians on the other side of the road.

* * *

**Just a quick one for you will try to get more up ASAP….please let me know what you think just quickly! Thank you soooooooooooo much for reading!**


	9. Concrete Prison

**A nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 9**

Her eyes felt unnaturally heavy as she struggled to blink them open. Within seconds, however, they were forced shut once more, repulsed by the florescent light above her head that pierced her pupils causing them to contract violently. Her eyes wept as they opened the second time attempting to adjust to the harsh light and rid the white dots that were dancing in her vision. The cold was the next thing the young architect registered as goose bumps erupted all over her skin. Her cheeks coloured red with embarrassment or horror or mortification, or whatever it was when she spied her jeans and jacket lying rumpled in the corner and she looked down at her bare legs and arms examining them as if they weren't a part of her own being. Panic surged through her veins poisoning her blood as she tried to recall anything – what had happened? There was nothing but blackness and the smell of something horrid and acidic on a wash cloth held for too long over her nose and mouth until it became the air she breathed and fogged her brain.

Whether it was from the unforgiving light or the shock spreading through her at her current situation Ariadne felt the tears begin to slide down her face. She was alone, still in that little room and as she pushed herself upwards on one arm she realised where she lay – the mattress was even more disguising now that she lay upon it and the young woman, mind still jumbled, scrambled off it feeling the bile rise in her throat. What had happened? Where was Anita? What had they done to her? She didn't feel any different, other than cold and with trembling hands Ariadne struggled with her clothes sliding her legs back into her jeans after her underwear and her jacket back over her arms after ensuring her totem was still safe in her pocket. In the barely there space between the mattress and the wall her body almost instinctively curled into itself in the far corner – her arms wrapping tightly around her legs.

The concrete walls were dirty, but still intact, and made it impossible to tell whether it was day or night and she cringed having no way to tell how long she'd been there, how long she'd been gone. There was no noise – anywhere, at all. Just silence. With her eyes fixed on the door, unmoving, her thoughts roamed to wonder of Arthur and Eames and Dom. Were they looking for her? Would they find her? Would they be there soon?

* * *

She wasn't entirely sure as to how long she had been sitting, facing the door, her eyes unmoving – watering and stinging as she tried to put off blinking for as long as possible and her eyes dried out. Her totem had been twisted between her fingers, re-pocketed and pulled out once more and tipped over time and time and time again – she could hear Arthur's voice scolding her – telling her that once was enough and that she could believe in it. Not that she didn't, no she believed in the weight of her bishop and the way in which it feel but her shaking, cramping hands required something to hold other that her own skin. Hours later though the muscle of her heart seized with dread as the handle, on the other side of the door turned. It squealed with the movement and she was sure the sound was louder within her ears than it really was. Her eyes widened for a moment before she glared at the man that entered through the doorway hot resentment and hatred overcoming her at the sight of him. She supposed she should be thankful, somewhere within her, that it wasn't the brute from before that her mind hazily remembered gripping her with his dinner plate sized hands and holding that cloth over her mouth. His familiar smile caused her jaw to clench and her teeth to grind against one another.

Peter.

He moved towards her his boots stepping over the mattress easily – only causing the already once white material to be stained another time – at least it was only dirt. He crouched down before her and her eyes narrowed only further a bad taste filling her mouth as she looked at him,

"Hello Anna from California" he said with a wide smile that only served to make an uncomfortable shiver run down Ariadne's spine. Gone was the charming man from the airport – not that he had ever been – no he was malicious and sadistic and still Ariadne had no idea what it was he wanted from her. And that, more than anything, that blindness, that powerlessness caused her more anxiety than anything else – she liked to be informed, educated, about every detail.

Peter held out his hand a moment later and Ariadne felt her brow rise and watched as Peter's smile extended further across his face unsettlingly.

"Come on my dear we're going to see your friend" his English was still stilted and she could hardly wait for the day his voice was simply a horrid memory.

It was only then that his words registered within her, making their way through the thick fog of her brain.

Anita.

She stood, bracing herself on the wall behind her and determinedly ignoring his hand making sure not to touch him under any circumstance. It couldn't be helped or stopped or avoided, however, when he crowded her against the wall and cupped her cheek with his own, his calloused thumb rough on her skin. His body was burning her skin as he pressed himself against her. He was taller – not that, that could be counted as an accomplishment, he was just shorter than Arthur. She held her breath without realising and it was only released when he pulled back slightly. Standing in front of her Peter swept his arm out in what was to be a gentlemanly gesture. She didn't move. His eyes narrowed slightly and he gripped her shoulders pulling her forcefully forward. His fingers dug into her collarbone painfully and she thought it likely she would be finding little bruises peppering her skin later on. He walked close behind her, his hands clamped onto her shoulders and she gained her balance after slightly tripping over the mattress.

Anita. She just had to get to Anita.

There was another man outside and Ariadne's heart sunk into her stomach as she recognised him as the brute from before. Thankfully, Peter simply led her past him pulling her sharply to the left and down the corridor. The hall was cold, not unlike the room she had been in and she could feel an icy breeze moving through the building – what she did have, however, was light and she could see that the sun was quickly setting. Ariadne felt her skin crawl as she moved through past the doors that lined both walls on either side of her, all the same, all identical to the one she'd been locked behind. Finally they reached the end of the corridor where Peter's fingers dug into her skin even further making her stop. The door was pulled open by the man who had trailed behind them and when it was open Ariadne couldn't stop her eyes from widening. Her throat seemed to contract and almost close as she took in the group of girls huddled together against the back wall.

It was only then that she saw Anita, sitting between two other girls who looked around their age and pushed towards her – away from Peter. His hands stopped her movement and instead he yanked her roughly back to him causing her to crash into his body once more. Anita moved forward slightly but they both knew there was little either could do.

His hand on her left shoulder moved away leaving her skin stinging as he moved it down her side to her hip. Her blood boiled,

"What do you want from us?" Ariadne spat out and Peter chuckled as he stroked her skin,

"You'll find out in good time Anna, for now you should rest with your new friends" he said and he pushed her forwards into the room, before she could ask anything else of him the solid door closed again the sound echoing through the larger room. It was identical to before minus the mattress, thankfully, with concrete walls and floor but Ariadne only stared at the door where the handle should have been.

Quickly she was enveloped from behind into someones arms and she tensed before realising it was Anita and spun around before wrapping her arms around her friend as well. For a moment the two girls simply held each other unable to pull away.

Two minutes later Ariadne knew that the girls in the room, all twenty three of them, she had counted several times, had all been through an almost identical experience to both she and Anita. They were all tourists, all from different and varied corners of the world – which made it increasingly difficult when they didn't all share a common language. What they did all share however was a fear that was beyond everything else. It surged straight passed and obliterated every cultural or language barrier and caused the girls to group together and become one another's allies – after all they were all they had.

Sandwiched between Anita and a young girl from America, their hands joined tightly together, they sat….waiting. Waiting for something to happen, for someone to return. The architect could still feel her totem against her thigh from her pocket but she was almost sure that her situation had little to do with dreamshare. A short while after she'd been forced into the room she'd joined the hushed conversation between the girls in the room – some of them at least and no one had offered any knowledge of anything she'd hinted towards.

"This happened to a girl from my town when she came to Paris" a young woman said, whose name they'd found to be Ingrid, from Sweden only moments before. She had a small bruise on her temple and a cut on her wrist that covered her sleeve in dry blood.

"They said it was about selling girls and smuggling" Ariadne felt her body turn cold at the words at the same time Anita's grip on her hand tightened. No more needed to be said – only silence was left in the concrete prison to suffocate them.

Seconds later a girl two down from her began to cry – burying her face in her hands. She looked worse for wear as Ariadne focused on her – forcing the thoughts from her mind and swallowing the rock in her throat. The girl was young, definitely younger than she and was definitely European. Her singlet top was torn and her white shorts stained almost black. She took in the younger girls shaking shoulders before the architect pushed herself off the ground once more, untangling her fingers from Anitas before moving towards the girl.

She pulled her jacket from her shoulders and handed it to the girl who stared up at her the tears continuing to stream over her paled cheeks.

"Please" she encouraged before she helped her to wrap around the girls shoulders,

"I'm Anna" Ariadne said keeping up the use of her new name – maybe it meant that when she was back home she'd be able to leave it all behind – as Anna. Maybe.

"Julia" she answered in a quiet whisper,

"How old are you Julia?"

"15" was the muffled reply before her voice crumbled into fearful sobs. Ariadne was quick to collect the girl and pull her into her own arms securely. Her tears set off several other girls and Ariadne watched as Anita wrapped her arms around another girl before meeting her eyes worry and fear within them as well. As she looked over the other girls she noted that some were silent, still, staring into nothing as she had been before. She wasn't sure what was worse.

It wasn't long before the door opened again – at least it felt that way and this time there were a group of men that sent the group of girls pushing themselves back further into the back wall. Ariadne noted they were all in black and recognised two of them as ones that had taken her from the rooftop – it all seemed like a life time ago.

As they were pulled up Anita and Ariadne quickly found each other once more their hands joining once more. In her other hand, Julia's was wrapped tightly. The girls moved in a group pushed and shoved roughly. They were herded outside and Ariadne could see the stairs that she had climbed blindfolded the day before – at least she thought it was the day before. The air was still cold and it was dark out. When they were standing outside of the compound Ariadne staunchly refused to meet Peters eyes who was standing, leaning back against a van door. She felt a shiver run through Anita and Ariadne could only share the sentiment – the last thing she wanted was to get back in a van.

They were pushed in roughly, yelled at in words that were not English or familiar. Anita was the first of them to climb into the van following a girl from Serbia and she pulled Ariadne in however half way up the architect was yanked backwards harshly and hit the stony ground hard causing her to cry out. Julia who still gripped her hand tightly yelled in protest as she was pulled away by a man, a huge man that left her no choice.

"NO" Ariadne yelled before she could stop herself, but arms quickly wrapped around her middle restraining her as another man who had sausages for fingers pulled their hands away from each other and apart. When she kicked him in the leg she was met with a punch to the stomach that caused her to fold in on herself as if she were merely a rag doll before gasping for air, eyes watering profusely. Yells filled the air along with Julia's screams and she looked up as the second van started up. The young girl was pushed in roughly and Ariadne shook her head as she met her eyes,

"It's okay….Julia it's okay I'll see you when we stop, I promise it will be okay" the van drove away and it was then that Peter filled her vision,

"You promise?"

* * *

**I know it's been forever but I hope you enjoy this chapter? DO you think we should check back in with Arthur, Eames and Cobb next or stick with Ariadne for a bit longer? **

**Please review and let me know what you think?!  
Thankyou!**


	10. Forgotten fear

**A Nightmare in Paris**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

She did see Julia again – just once.

They had been driving for a while – though none of the girls had any concept of time and no one dared to make a sound. They sat in the back of the truck bracing themselves on whatever they could when the vehicle turned sharp corners. Once the doors had been slammed shut they had been plunged back into the darkness, darkness that Ariadne was beginning to resent. For a while the young architect attempted to remember their journey

_Left, left, right, left, right, right _

The order was soon jumbled and she shook her head in frustration. Details – details were her thing right? It wasn't long before her muscles began to ache as she attempted to brace herself as the vehicle swung around sharp corners. Once they'd finally come to an abrupt stop the doors were pulled back open, the horrible sound of metal sliding along metal made Ariadne wonder if her ears were bleeding. Anita's hand was once more safely enclosed within her own and Ariadne sent a weak smile to a younger girl who scrambled out of the van just before her, hoping it would provide some sort of relief – even if only for a second. Immediately the architects eyes found the identical van already parked, already emptied and her heart began to race. She could hear noise behind her and spun around to see the other group of girls being roughly pushed into the building. Red. Her eyes found the red of her jacket that remained safely around Julia's shoulders. The young girl only had a moment to meet her eyes before she was pushed through doors that Ariadne noted were an almost identical colour to her jacket.

Her heart sunk as Julia was removed from her vision but hoped they would be following the first group. Her eyes found a smirk and she felt nauseous as Peter waved his fingers towards her before heading inside after the first group. Ariadne felt a tug on her arm and looked down to see the girl from before wrapping her arm around Ariadne's wrist. She smiled gently before sliding her arm around the smaller girls' waist pulling her in line with herself and Anita. Quickly they were directed through the same red doors as Julia had passed. There were more stairs to climb and even more men within the building than there had been before, all with guns, all watching them closely. When a horrid scream ran through the walls her blood turned to ice and she quickly pulled the young girl closer as she felt her nails dig into her skin.

They were separated once more, split, divided however the girl she discovered to be Alice remained with her, clutching to her desperately. They were pushed through a smaller door into another room and Ariadne's eyes widened as she took in the mattresses that lined the floor. The carpet was stained and the room had a foul stench that made her eyes water and bile to burn her throat. One of the men yelled towards them raising his gun slightly before he began pushing girls to different beds. Quickly Ariadne, Anita and Alice sat down on the closest bed but it wasn't long before both Ariadne and Anita were roughly pulled and pushed onto separate beds, all next to one another. Ariadne folded her arms around her knees as she watched, wide eyed, waiting to see what was to come. Alice was shaking, visibly, and Ariadne wondered how many years younger than her she was, too young, of that she was certain.

The worst had been, of course, yet to come though and while Ariadne had been almost convinced that what was happening had no relation to dreaming as several more men and women entered the room she became less and less certain.

"What is that?" she heard one of the girls in the corner bed ask through tears as a woman knelt beside her bed and pulled her wrist towards her. Her attention however was called by a scream at the opposite end of the room and she heard Anita gasp as two men held down a screaming girl and Ariadne's heart began to race as she caught the flash of silver before it was pushed beneath the girls' skin and into her vein. Thick ropes were wrapped around her legs and arms restricting her movements.

"Please, what is it?" the first girl asked once more and again the woman ignored her as she slapped the terrified girls wrist several times to raise the vein, an action Ariadne knew only because Arthur had done it to her once before – albeit with a lot more care and gentleness than the girl was receiving.

They moved through the room hooking each girl up to a bag of fluid, fluid of god knows what although Ariadne was prepared to bet it wasn't to rehydrate them. She met Anita's wide eyes as yet another girl was tied down,

"Don't fight them" Ariadne whispered, and Anita nodded before she glanced at her other side, Alice held her gaze for a long minute and Ariadne knew the girl was unlikely to be aware of the tears streaming down her face or that her head was shaking fast.

"Just let them Alice and it'll all be over okay" the young girl nodded and soon enough they'd arrived at her. Ariadne heard the gasp as the needle pierced her skin and her eyes snapped shut. Then it was her turn. It was the same woman who she had watched. A thinner rope was wrapped around her upper arm, being used a tourniquet, and Ariadne received a much greater appreciation of how good Arthur, Cobb, Eames and Yusuf all were at administering the drugs for dreaming. She too quizzed the woman as to what it was that was beginning to pump into her veins and received no answer minus a sharp pinch to inner arm that hurt almost more than the needle that had been roughly shoved into her arm. Ariadne arched her neck to inspect the bag that was placed on a hook in the wall and sighed as she realized there was no writing on it whatsoever, simply clear liquid. She met Alice's gaze who had curled on the bed and was staring intently at her nodding to her that it was okay before she turned to Anita. Her eyes held her friends as she received the same treatment.

It wasn't long before all the girls in the room had been hooked up to bags and were not permitted to speak. Several men roamed the room holding larger guns than she'd seen before – apart from in films of course. It wasn't long after that when Ariadne realised that Alice had stopped shaking. Stopped shaking, stopped moving, stopped. It was as if she had reclined back on the bed yet she was too still. Ariadne squinted through the light and as she felt a rush of warmth roll over her body. Her arm itched and she frowned looking down but blinked furiously as she tried to focus on her own arm. Bright large spots flickered through her vision as she looked around the room hoping it would clear without success.

"Ari…Ari?" there was a whisper from somewhere on her other side and Ariadne's head snapped towards the sound. It was familiar... she knew it, but she just couldn't figure out who it was. She squinted seeing a blurry outline of someone to her left, on another bed. Her head span, the room with it, faster and faster forcing her to grip the mattress beneath her with one hand and clutch her head with the other.

"Ari what's happening?" the voice filled with fear was the last thing she heard before the spots in her eyes faded, before everything faded – only being replaced by darkness.

* * *

The night was dark. At least she thought it was – maybe she simply couldn't see anymore. She blinked. Darkness? The young girl shook her head as fear raced through her veins, poisoning her blood. She knew there was much to fear. What was it?

It was cold beneath her feet, which were bare. She couldn't remember where her shoes had gone. The ground was cold. Hard. They'd taken her somewhere in the van again. She hated vans. She hated them. She bumped into someone beside her but the things around her arms seemed to tighten and keep her upright. They hurt. It was painful. She blinked again but everything around her spun in and out of focus too fast for her to see.

She stumbled up stairs her arms pulsing from where it was too tight. Her head lolled sideways as she seemed to fall but not hit the ground. Where was she? What was going on? What was she afraid of? Suddenly a smell so overpowering slammed into her senses and she gagged feeling the bile rear up into her throat. She was roughly pushed forwards and her entire body fell this time only coming to land on something softer. She lay on her side – uncomfortable but her arms and her legs, her head, it was all too heavy to move. Her thick, long hair lay across her face but she was too tired to move it. Her wrist was bleeding, and itchy and she sluggishly drew her knees up to her chest folding her arms around them. She paused only to tug the sleeves of the red jacket that still remained around her shoulders tighter around her body before she felt liquid running down her face and she clamped her eyes shut trying to remember what she was so afraid of.

* * *

**Hey guys I'm baaaaack : ) at least I hope so! Doing stacks of uni catch up which is really kicking my butt at the moment but hopefully can get some writing squeezed in too! Hope you're all well and that you like this chapter – not much happens but we're back with the guys next chapter promise! **


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